


Journey to the Heartstone

by NickelWick



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, Self-Acceptance, Troll Jim, but not too much, i think, some OCs, troll jlaire 'cause we honestly need more of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28245369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NickelWick/pseuds/NickelWick
Summary: The Eternal Night is over, but Jim's problems are not. The trolls need to travel across the country to the Heartstone in New Jersey. But Jim is still struggling with his new form-he's fine with fighting as a troll, but living as one? That's an entirely different story. It'll take a journey with golems and mysterious foes for him to realize that maybe-just maybe-it's not so bad.
Relationships: Jim Lake Jr. & Merlin (Tales of Arcadia), Jim Lake Jr. & Nomura (Tales of Arcadia), Jim Lake Jr./Claire Nuñez
Comments: 25
Kudos: 40





	1. The Deep

**Author's Note:**

> As a warning, I wrote this several months ago and have NOT reviewed it since. I don't want to edit it, because frankly, I just want to get this baby uploaded. I mean, the writing is still good, but I think you guys will notice that it gets a lot better in the later chapters. I actually have a dozen or so chapters up on FF.net, so the updates will be pretty frequent for this fic. 
> 
> As an FYI, the chapters are a lot shorter for this fic than it is for my other work, Wizards-Secundo Ire. At the time, I just wanted to keep my chapters short and neat. 
> 
> Anyway, enough of my rambles. Enjoy!

Jim gasped as Daylight was knocked to the side. The blue fire disappeared as the sword flickered from existence. Now the only light penetrating the darkness of the Deep was that-that _thing_.

The thing lunged forward. Jim instinctively went on the defensive and summoned his shield. The thing’s sword clashed on the shield, sending a spray of sparks. He was _strong_. Much too strong for someone his size. Jim could feel his arms trembling. He couldn’t keep this up for much longer. The thing laughed, as if he knew he had Jim right where he wanted him.

Suddenly, the thing released his sword from Jim. Before Jim could react, the thing kicked Jim in the chest. The Trollhunter flew into the cavern’s wall with a sickening crunch. Jim slid down to the ground. _Owowowowow_ , he thought. Sure, the armor protected him for the most part, but it still _hurt_.

Jim shook his head and-and wow, that was a terrible idea. Moving his head had sent spikes of pain throughout his skull. By the time his eyes stopped throbbing, the thing had stooped down to his level. But now that the thing wasn’t trying to kill him anymore (at least right now), Jim finally got a good look at him. Except, it wasn’t a thing. It was- _he_ was-no. NO. Horror washed over Jim. He was-

“Jim,” James Lake Jr. growled. “We need to talk.”

Jim blinked rapidly, trying to deny what was clearly the obvious. It _couldn’t_ be him. This version of Jim had _fangs_. This version of Jim had slitted pupils. And pointed ears. And-and he was abnormally fast, strong, he growled, roared, he-

_He was a troll._

Not-Jim smiled smugly. Jim shuddered. The tusks made the smile look even creepier. “You figured it out,” he commented. Not-Jim’s voice was also deeper and more raspy. Not by much, but still. It was unnerving. “Congratulations, Jim. Your worst fear is losing your humanity.”

Jim didn’t say anything. He was still in shock.

Not-Jim snapped his fingers in front of Jim’s face. “Hello? Anybody home? To be honest, I thought you’d have a bigger reaction to what you’re going to become than this-”

And that’s what snapped Jim out of his trance. “No!” he shouted, and he tackled Not-Jim. The two rolled on the rocky ground, pummeling each other with their armored fists. There was no rhyme or reason to the fight. It was a full-on brawl.

“Enough!” Not-Jim yelled, and he sent a particularly strong kick to Jim’s gut. Jim skidded back, gasping, but he quickly summoned Daylight and got into a defensive stance. No way was he going to be caught off guard this time.

Not-Jim rolled his slitted eyes and held out his hand. The Eclipse blade disappeared from behind Jim and into Not-Jim’s hand. “Would you just _listen_ for one second? I’m not going to kill you. Not right now, anyway. But I want to tell you something first.”

“I’m not going to listen to anything you have to say,” Jim snapped.

“What if I gave you a warning?”

 _It’s a trick_ , Jim thought. _I can’t trust him_. But a small part of him _wanted_ to know what Not-Jim had to say. He unintentionally relaxed his stance ever so slightly.

Not-Jim grinned. “Do you remember that idiotic military version of us?” he crooned. “And do you remember what he said, right before you sucked him back into your sword?”

 _What?_ Jim thought. _Where is he going with this-_

“He was right, you know,” Not-Jim said, interrupting Jim’s train of thought. “He said that one day, you wouldn’t be able to balance your normal life and your Trollhunter life. That one day, you would have to choose. And you _do_ choose, Jim. You choose to be me.” Not-Jim bared his teeth in a ferocious grin.

“You’re wrong!” Jim shouted, and he swung his sword at Not-Jim. The other version of him growled as his blade connected with Jim’s, and their swordfight resumed from before.

“You know I’m right, Jim!” Not-Jim roared as he parried away Daylight. “You’re already losing your humanity! I should know, I’m part of you! Don’t deny that you haven’t been getting more ruthless, more troll-like in your fights!”

 _He can’t be right_ , Jim thought as he parried Not-Jim’s sword. _I would never choose to be_ -that. But…some part of Jim disagreed. Sometimes, when he was fighting Bular, Angor Rot, or even Strickler (when he was Jim’s enemy), he’d want to do rule number two: _always finish the fight_.

Sure, he killed two of them because they were evil and had wanted to kill him. They deserved to die. But it wasn’t just that. He craved the violence. He wanted to tear his enemies to shreds and show he was the superior fighter. It was so _satisfying_ to see them turn to stone. Jim even felt disappointed, sometimes, when the fight was over.

And it had only gotten worse after the Darklands.

But it didn’t matter. He would never _ever_ allow himself to lose his humanity. Because if he did…he would become that _thing_. And he didn’t want that. He was scared of it.

Jim’s fear and determination finally let him gain the upper hand in the fight. Worry flitted across Not-Jim’s face as he was pushed back. As the fight went on, Not-Jim’s strokes became more and more clumsy. It encouraged Jim to fight harder, more brutal. That was good. He wouldn’t let this part of him survive. It would die here in the Deep, and it would never haunt him again.

Jim spotted an opening, and, with a yell that sounded a bit too much like a roar, he thrust Daylight deep into Not-Jim’s chest.

Not-Jim grunted and collapsed to his knees. Jim was sure he’d keel over, but then he looked up at him and smiled. “Good,” he said. “Good! It was about time you knew you had it in you.”

To Jim’s surprise and horror, stone creeped from the wound and started spreading across his duplicate’s body. Not-Jim looked down and said, “Oh, this? I don’t know why you’d be surprised. I’m a troll, you know.” He laughed. “You can’t lock me away forever, Jim. You’ll turn into me soon enough.”

“I won’t!” Jim shouted. “I’ll never turn into you!”

But Not-Jim kept laughing and laughing, even as the stone crawled over his face. The sound was _everywhere_. Jim held his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut, begging for it to stop, but it didn’t. The laughing just got louder and louder and LOUDER-

“I won’t!” Jim screamed as he shot up from the forest floor.

“Jim?” a voice asked gently as a small hand touched his shoulder.

 _Stranger!_ Jim thought wildly. He backed away from the hand on all fours, a threatening growl escaping him. He didn’t know who it was so it had to be dangerous it had to be a predator he had to protect himself-

“Jim? What’s wrong?” the voice said again, concern evident. Why did the voice sound like-

Claire. Oh, no. Jim blinked rapidly as his surroundings spiraled into view. Trees rustled in the wind, and the night sky twinkled above. He shook his head to clear it. He wasn’t in the Deep facing an evil version of himself. He was in a forest with Blinky and all the other trolls. They had just started their journey to the new Heartstone only yesterday.

And Claire was here. His girlfriend. Who he had just growled at.

Jim’s heart sank. He felt terrible. Sure, he had acted especially… _trollish_ right after his transformation, but he had been disoriented and scared. He should have better control over his troll half by now.

He stood up shakily. “S-sorry Claire,” he mumbled. “I had a nightmare. I didn’t mean to growl-” _no he refused to use that word_ “-snap at you. I’m sorry.”

His impossibly beautiful girlfriend stared at him with worry. She had taken her armor off to sleep, so she was back in her Hamlet shirt. “It’s fine, Jim. Don’t worry about me. In fact, I’m worried about you.” She started walking to him. “Are you okay? Do you want to talk-”

“I’m fine!” Jim said hastily, backing away from her outstretched hand. “Really. Just a little spooked.” He laughed nervously. “I think I’ll, um, go wake the others. Don’t want to waste too much night.” With that, he practically sprinted away from her. He just-he just couldn’t face her right now. _Sorry Claire_ , he thought sadly.

Meanwhile, Claire stood there, hand hovering. She crossed her arms and glared at her boyfriend’s retreating figure.

He was clearly _not_ fine.


	2. Talk with the Wizard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jim has some insecurities he talks to Merlin about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, consider this a late Christmas gift. Hope you guys had a good one!

Jim trudged forward, lost in his thoughts. Which was bad. If he didn't have anything to do, then he'd start thinking about his nightmare. And he _really_ didn't want to dwell on it. Getting the trolls up and moving had been good. It had taken much longer than Jim had expected it would take. Trolls didn't sleep nearly as much as humans did, but they were all exhausted after the battle yesterday. They had slept like-well, like rocks.

And had it been only yesterday? It felt like a lifetime.

The point was, it had been very hard to wake up the trolls. Some were more grumpy than others when it came to waking up. Jim had the bruises to prove it.

But now, it was just…walking. Walking across the country to their new Heartstone. He was leaving his mom, best friend, Argh, everyone…

Jim's pointed ears perked up, distracting him from his depression. There were footsteps running towards him and-

A small, lithe body jumped on his armored back. "Gotcha!" Claire giggled, wrapping her arms around Jim's neck. She snuggled her head between his horns. "Good morning," she chirped.

Jim laughed in surprise, his sadness dissipating. "Good morning to you too," he said happily. "What have you been up to?"

"Talking to Merlin."

"Must've been really desperate to go talk to him."

"I know," Claire said, making a face. "But I had to. I know trolls rarely need to sleep, but I do! So I asked him if he had anything that could fix that. So he whipped up a potion for me-"

_Potion_. Flashes of being tied to a chair, looking in the mirror at his human face one last time, and hearing his friends and family begging for him to let them in the bathroom raced through his head. Then the pain in his chest as the transformation started. Waking up alone in the forest near the canals. And, and-

"Jim?" Claire asked softly, now off his back. When did she get off his back? "Are you okay? You stopped walking."

Jim blinked and realized he _had_ stopped moving. Some trolls were looking at him with confusion, including Blinky. Crap.

"Uh, sorry," Jim apologized. "I got-distracted."

Blinky's six eyes stared at him with concern. "Are you sure you're quite all right, Master Jim? The battle was harsher on you than most."

"Seriously, I'm fine. A little banged up, but fine," Jim replied, giving what he hoped was a sincere smile. "I actually wanted to ask Merlin something. So I'll, uh, go do that."

"Master Jim-"

But Jim had already slipped away. Claire worried her lower lip. It seemed her hug had only temporarily helped Jim. If only he could tell her what was wrong. Then again, Claire thought it might have something to do with this morning.

Jim had been tossing and turning in his sleep and muttering under his breath. He looked so distressed that Claire had no choice but to wake him. When she did, he snarled at her. It had frightened her, sure, but she was more worried for her boyfriend. He had looked so _scared_ , so defensive. And when he finally came to, he looked so, so guilty. It broke her heart.

"Fair Claire," Blinky said, breaking her out of her thoughts, "do you have any idea what is wrong with our Trollhunter? He seems not quite himself."

"Maybe I do," Claire answered. "Maybe I do."

As Jim rushed to Merlin, he couldn't help but feel bad avoiding his friends like this. But he didn't want-couldn't-answer their probing questions right now. He didn't know what he'd say.

Speaking of not knowing what to say, Jim had no idea what to talk to Merlin about. The old wizard was at the head of the crowd of shuffling trolls. He tapped his bearded chin, analyzing the glowing green map hovering before him.

"What are you doing, Merlin?" Jim asked. The wizard glanced at him before switching his gaze to the map again. "Planning the best route to the Heartstone. The less civilization, the better. It takes a great deal of concentration, so if you have anything to say, do so now."

Jim, desperate to say anything, burst the first thing that popped into his head. "Is there a chance I'll lose my humanity entirely and turn into an evil rampaging troll?"

"No," Merlin said shortly. "Now, if that's it-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Jim stuttered. "Are you serious?"

"When am I ever not serious? My elixir-" Jim flinched "-made you both troll and hunter. Not monster and hunter."

"So," Jim said, hope rising, "I'll stay human up-" he pointed at his head, "-here?"

"Not exactly." Jim's heart dropped. "I told you, you're _half troll_. Your human nature is blended perfectly with your troll one. A confusing mix, and that is unfortunate, but, well. No creation is perfect."

"Creation?!" Jim snarled.

"And there you go," Merlin said calmly, causing Jim to abruptly stop growling. "That was your troll nature shining through right there. While you won't become a-how did you put it-'evil rampaging troll'," Merlin retorted, using finger quotes, "you will act like any perfectly normal troll. Because you _are_ a troll. Or half of one, anyway."

Jim's breathing grew faster and shallower. This wasn't-this wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. He wouldn't say he accepted his troll body, but he did tolerate it. But thinking like a troll? Acting like one? _Living_ like one? That was an entirely different story. He couldn't stand scaring Claire, or anyone else for that matter, again.

He just couldn't.

Then a troll shrieked, "Golem!" and something hard hit Jim, sending him flying through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my GOD that was short. Wow. I'll have to upload again soon, because that was way too short for any human being. My bad.


	3. Golem Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which golems make an unwelcome return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is also pretty short, but hey, what can you do? Enjoy you guys!

"And that's what I think is wrong with Jim," Claire finished.

Blinky rubbed his stony chin with one hand, the other three placed on his hips. "I see. We will-" his long ears twitched. His eyes flicked to the left. "Did you hear that, Claire?" he asked, a note of urgency in his voice.

Claire stopped walking and strained her ears, but she couldn't hear a thing. Then again, she didn't have super hearing like trolls did.

She shook her head morosely. "Sorry, I don't-" Then she heard it. A twig snapped. Then another. And another.

And it was getting closer.

She backed away from the line of trees, Blinky following her example. "It could be nothing," she said half-heartedly. "There's, um, lots of wildlife in the forest, you know, so-"

"Golem!" a troll shrieked.

Claire gasped and whirled to the troll, only to see her boyfriend punched through the air by a faceless creature made from rock. It really was a golem.

"Jim!" she cried, and started towards him. A hand pulled her back. "What?" she hissed, spinning to Blinky. He said nothing; he only patted her arm aimlessly as he stared up at something in horror.

Claire followed his line of sight and gulped. Not one, but _two_ golems made from stone lurked in front of them.

Crashes from behind caused them to whirl around. Five golems approached the trolls from the right, and two stalked out of the forest on the left. They were surrounded.

"Run," Claire whispered.

Screams flooded the forest as the trolls went into a panic. Some tried to barrel past the golems, only to be knocked back. A few leaped over the golems and ran into the forest, waving their arms madly. One even started digging a hole in the ground to hide himself. The rest of the trolls stood there, frozen with fear.

How were they going to get out of this?

Jim coughed weakly on the forest floor. The armor had protected him for the most part, but that punch had knocked the wind out of him. And what had hit him? Was it really a-a golem?

He blinked and saw two large fists slamming down. Jim gasped and rolled to the side, just missing the fists as they smashed into the ground. And it _was_ a golem that dumbly turned to face him. Great.

Jim summoned his Eclipse sword and swung it at the golem, chopping its arm off. The thing made a groaning noise and threw a punch. Jim nimbly dodged it and leaped into the air. His sword flickered from existence as he called his glaives. He threw the tiny blades, and they whizzed into the golem's back. It collapsed to the ground.

Jim landed on its back and punched his hand through the solid rock. His four fingers closed around the small totem. He yanked it out and crushed it. Jim leapt off the golem as it crumbled to tiny stones beneath him.

Now that he had a chance to breathe, Jim took the time to take in the situation. And oh, man. It was _not_ going well. Almost ten golems had surrounded the trolls and were kicking and punching them, keeping the terrified trolls at bay. And _Claire_. Claire and Blinky stood alone in front of a golem, barely dodging its swinging fists.

Jim growled. He would _not_ allow them to get hurt. "Merlin!" he yelled. "We have to-" he stopped when he saw the wizard lying on the ground. He ran over to him and checked for any injuries. He had a nasty bump on the back of the head, but otherwise, he seemed fine. A golem must've snuck up on him when Jim was busy fighting.

He shook the wizard. "Merlin! You gotta wake up! There's too many of them!"

Merlin muttered, "Hisirdoux, stop shouting."

Jim frowned. Who the heck was Hisirdoux? It didn't matter. He had to protect his trolls. "Looks like I'm on my own," he groaned.

"Not quite," a voice rasped behind him. Jim stood up and turned to the voice, which belonged to a purple changeling.

"Nomura," he sighed in relief.

She looked down at Merlin and rolled her eyes. "The old fool is out already? Typical." She unsheathed her dual-scimitars. "I'll take the ones on the right. You save your loved ones, Little Gynt." With that, she flung herself into the air proceeded to stab a golem in the chest.

Jim bared his fangs as he charged into battle. No one-and he meant _no one_ -was going to hurt Claire.

Claire panted as she barely dodged a stone foot. "I-I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." She somersaulted to the side. "If I had my shadow staff, I could take this thing out like it was nothing!"

"Yes, well, no point dwelling on that," Blinky shouted back as he ducked to avoid another golem's fist. "We have more important things to worry about. Like not losing our heads, for one!"

A guttural roar punctured the air. Claire stared wide-eyed as Jim literally threw himself into the golem. The creature crashed through several trees before coming to a halt. Jim turned to the golem attacking Blinky. He roared again as he ripped its arm off swung it at the golem's head. He beat the golem over the head with its arm over and over, until it stumbled back.

Jim grinned ferociously. He had it now. He stabbed Eclipse through its chest and felt the totem crack. The golem crumbled.

He sprinted to the other golem, which had started to rise. Jim ripped its head off and slammed it through its chest. The totem was crushed against the tree, and the golem collapsed. He resisted the urge to roar in triumph and instead looked to the other side of the party of trolls.

Nomura had taken care of the golems neatly. He watched as she flipped the last totem through the air and sliced it with her scimitar. All the golems were gone.

Jim almost felt disappointed. That rush of adrenaline had felt so _good_. He wanted more. He wanted-

He started as Claire hugged him tightly. "You're amazing," she gushed as she pecked him lightly on the lips. "Thank you."

"Well done, Master Jim," Blinky beamed as he strode to Jim. "A battle well fought, indeed."

"Thanks, Blinky," Jim panted. He was still hurt from the Eternal Night battle, and this fight hadn't done his body any favors. One question pressed his mind, though, making him forget about his pain. "But where did those golems come from? Angor Rot's dead."

"He is, but others can create golems." Blinky's eyes scanned the forest. "I only wish I knew who would send such creatures after us…"

Meanwhile, a drone hummed in the distance, silently watching the Trollhunter and his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, I hoped you guys liked the Hisirdoux reference as much as I did. Can't help it, I just love the rocker boy too much.
> 
> Also, ooh, an evil droney. Goes bzz bzz. (*whispers* I'm sorry) 
> 
> Anyways, thank you guys for reading, and Happy New Year! Leave a comment, I love reading them!


	4. Little Gynt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nomura's here yayyyyyyyy
> 
> (I really do love her she's such an icon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in a while. It's funny, I have like half a dozen chapters ready to be uploaded but I just forget. Isn't that funny? HAHAHAHAHA (please don't kill me)

Jim was _not_ a happy camper. They had lost valuable daytime-no, _nighttime_ -tracking down the trolls that had fled the fight. They didn’t look it, but the Trollmarket trolls were surprisingly fast when they wanted to be, unfortunately for Jim and his friends.

Merlin was no help at all either. He was sleeping the whole night long. Some wizard _he_ turned out to be.

And so, Jim was very irritated by the time the moon was high in the sky.

“Is that everyone?” Jim called grumpily.

“Just Glug and Bagdwella left, I believe,” Blinky replied. His eyes scanned the party of trolls. Since they couldn’t move on without the missing trolls, they had taken the opportunity to rest. They really should’ve been doing something productive, like gathering food, but Jim let them have their rest. That fight had been unexpected and frightening, to say the least.

“Aha! Forgive my miscalculation, Master Jim, but Bagdwella is present! She’s behind a particularly large river troll. One less troll to worry about,” Blinky stated happily.

Jim slumped in relief. “That’s good. I just need to find Glug, who is making my life difficult. Again.” He shuddered, remembering when Toby was blamed for her antics.

“I’ll come with you,” Claire offered, slipping her hand into his. He smiled gratefully at her and gave her hand a tight squeeze.

“Thanks, Claire, but I think you should sit this one out. You look exhausted.”

“I’m really not,” Claire protested, stifling a huge yawn.

“Uh-huh,” Jim said, grinning. He gently wiggled his hand out of hers. “You should get some sleep while the other trolls are resting. I guess that po-” the word hitched in his throat, “-uh, drink, Merlin gave you hasn’t worked yet.”

“I guess you’re right,” she huffed. She hugged him tightly. “Don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone, Trollhunter.”

“Pretty sure that’s impossible.”

“Yeah, I know.” She trudged down to join Blinky. “But it doesn’t mean I have to like it!”

He laughed as he turned away from Claire and slipped into the forest. On a whim, he jumped into a tree. With hardly any effort, Jim bent his knees and leapt to another tree at least thirty feet away. He landed on a sturdy branch smoothly.

_Maybe I should consider doing gymnastics,_ Jim joked.

He braced one hand on the trunk and gazed at the forest below him. It was so peaceful up here. Sure, he had gone camping with Toby when he was younger, but this was different. It felt like Jim had gone back in time to when the only living things in forests were the animals. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of the wind as it rustled through his hair. He hoped Claire was sleeping right now, and not worrying about him. She needed some rest.

Now that he thought about it, shouldn’t Jim be tired too? He had been working just as hard as Claire…no, even _harder_ than her. So why did he feel like he could run a marathon?

He rested his head against the tree trunk, trying to ignore the way his horn conked against it. Claire did mention that trolls didn’t need to sleep as much as humans, but he didn’t think that would apply to _him_. He thought he would be, like, exempted from it or something. Stupid.

Does this mean he wouldn’t sleep anymore? Jim _did_ just have a terrifying nightmare, but sleeping was so essential to being _human_. If he couldn’t do that, how much more did he lose? How much of his humanity was left?

Jim didn’t realize he was whining until a voice said, “Rough night, Little Gynt?”

Jim shouted in surprise and stumbled. He lost his footing on the branch and went into a freefall. The forest was a blur of color as he rapidly approached the ground. His mind was blank in panic, but his trollish instincts saved him. He grabbed a branch that flew by him and used his momentum to flip back up. He landed on a sturdy limb a few feet below the one he was on before, panting.

“Nice save,” the voice grunted.

Jim glared up at Nomura, who was sitting on the branch above, her legs swinging lazily. “Did you have to sneak up on me like that?”

“Like what?” she asked coyly.

“Never mind,” Jim huffed. “Why did you follow me?”

“Thought you could use the help. Plus, I may have taken out my fair share of Gumm-Gumms, but those idiots below still don’t trust me. Just because I’m a changeling,” she spat.

“Oh.” Jim didn’t know how to respond to that. “I’m sorry, Nomura.” Annnnnd that sounded super fake and hollow.

She slipped down to Jim’s branch. “It’s not your fault, Little Gynt. You trust me, and that’s good enough for me.” Nomura smiled, her sharp fangs glinting in the moonlight. “Join me below. We need to talk.”

With that, she elegantly jumped off the branch and disappeared. Confused but intrigued, Jim followed suit.

When Jim himself landed on the forest floor, Nomura was waiting with her arms crossed. She gestured for him to get up and started walking. Jim hurriedly caught up with her. “So, what’s up? What’d you want to talk about?”

“I overheard your conversation with Merlin.”

Jim tripped and nearly fell. “Y-you did?”

She nodded. “Yes. And I understand your fear. You’ve spent your entire life as one species. To have it changed so abruptly…I can’t imagine the toll it must have on you. Even as a changeling.”

He rubbed his arm. “Yeah…”

Nomura stopped walking and turned to face him. Her glowing green eyes stared at him. When he had first met her, those eyes were full of hate, but now, they shone with concern. “But I _do_ understand more than most. While I’ve never had my human and troll sides clash in one form, like you, I know what both spectrums are like. Sometimes, when I’m human, I think of what I did as a troll and find it disgusting. Same for when I’m a troll. It took me nearly a hundred years to accept both of my natures.”

“Did you say one hundred years-”

“Your problem is that you’re terrified of your troll side. A warranted fear, to be sure. Trolls have their…unpleasant qualities, to say the least. But I can help you overcome that fear. I can show you how to master and embrace your primal instincts. One day, you will not only be unafraid of your troll side-you’ll be proud of it.” She smiled. “As I am now.”

Jim looked down, unable to meet her in the eyes. “But…it’s different for you,” he said hoarsely. “You can still be-be human…I can’t. I can never go back.”

Nomura gently lifted his chin up. He reluctantly met her gaze. “I know,” she whispered. “I know. You really do carry the weight of the world on your shoulders…I see now why Stricklander calls you ‘Young Atlas.’ But if you really want to embrace who you are now…I’m your best chance.”

Her pointed ears twitched, and she lowered her hand. “I hear Glug,” she said. Now that she mentioned it, Jim could hear the troll’s faint calls for help in the distance.

Nomura sighed. “Think about it, Trollhunter. When you’re ready to talk, let me know.” The changeling then darted into the trees, leaving Jim alone to consider her offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, another tiny chapter. Hope you guys liked it though, Nomura is pretty fun to write. I'll try to upload soon, and see you in the next update!


	5. Talk with the Changeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire has a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short little chapter for you to enjoy :)

“Hey.”

Claire’s eyes snapped open. She shot up and opened her mouth to scream-

A clawed, pink hand curled around her mouth. “Shh,” Nomura whispered. “It’s just me. Come with me. I don’t want to wake the others.”

The hand released, and Claire gasped. She blinked rapidly in the bright sunlight. It was going to take her a while to get used to this new sleep schedule. She looked around for Nomura, and found the changeling standing off to the side, tapping her foot impatiently.

Claire rolled her eyes and started to get up, but a tug held her back. She glanced down and smiled. Jim had fallen asleep next to her with his arm wrapped around her waist. She tried to stand up again to no avail. Gently, as to not wake him, she slowly pried his hand off her waist and placed it on the forest floor. He mumbled something and curled more tightly on himself.

She tucked a strand of hair behind his pointed ear and lightly kissed him on the cheek. He might not believe her, but Claire really did think he looked cute as a troll. Handsome, in fact.

Nomura clearing her throat brought her back to reality. Claire arose and precariously navigated her way around the sleeping forms of the trolls. They had found a particularly large, shady grove to stay for the day. The sun’s rays didn’t even penetrate through the trees. Still, it was a lot brighter than what Claire was used to at this point.

“Finally,” Nomura grunted as Claire finally reached her. “I hate it when you humans face-mash. Come on.”

“You’re telling me you never wanted to ‘face-mash’ Draal?” Claire teased as she trotted to keep up with Nomura.

“No, I haven’t. It’s disgusting. I’ve never wanted to kiss that large, handsome, strong…” she cleared her throat, and Claire smiled smugly. “Never mind. Here’s good.”

She turned around. Claire panted as she wiped her forehead. Wow. She really missed her shadow staff. “Why-why did you bring me out here, Nomura?” she huffed.

“It’s about Jim.”

The last of her tiredness disappeared, and Claire straightened. “What? Is something wrong?” Well, _Claire_ knew something was up with her boyfriend, but Nomura didn’t. Maybe it was something more serious?

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing you probably don’t already know,” Nomura dismissed with a wave of her hand. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the Trollhunter since we’ve departed. Per Stricklander’s request.”

Claire blinked. “Strickler? Why?”

“He’s worried about him,” Nomura sighed as she leaned against a tree. “Not as much as he was when Jim first turned into a troll, but he’s still concerned. Since he couldn’t watch over Jim himself, he asked me to. And what I’ve noticed is…troubling, for lack of a better word.

“Little Gynt is scared of his troll nature. His human half is appalled at what his troll side wants to do, what it _is_. He doesn’t want to lose hold of his humanity; he wants to keep his troll side in check. And that’s not healthy.”

Oh. Claire thought he was scared of hurting her…or maybe, he was scared of his _troll half_ harming her. That made a lot more sense. “I get it. We need to help Jim accept himself! What can I do to help?” she asked eagerly.

“You don’t.”

Claire’s face fell. “Why not? He’s my boyfriend! You can’t just expect me to-”

“Sorry, that’s-that’s not what I meant.” Nomura dragged a hand down her face. “I’ve already talked to Little Gynt about this, and I offered my help. He hasn’t exactly accepted me offer, but he’s definitely considering it. But I don’t think you should encourage him to do it. He needs to make the choice on his own. And…there’s a chance he would feel ashamed and bury his troll side even deeper.”

“So, what, you don’t want me to do _anything?_ I don’t think I can do that. He needs me.”

“Yes, he does,” Nomura answered, smiling softly. “And there is a way you can help, Claire. All I’m asking is that you don’t confront Jim on what’s troubling him. You leave that to me. What you can do, though, is treat him normally.”

Claire frowned. “I already do that.”

“No, I mean if he does anything trollish-growling, eating unusual foods, roaring-don’t draw attention to it. Don’t give him any weird, or even proud, looks. Don’t talk about it. Just be there for him, alright?”

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t leave him for the world.” She drew her first two fingers across her lips. “My lips are sealed.”

The next few days passed by relatively peacefully. Sure, the occasional troll would wander off, so they’d have to stop the party and locate the missing troll. There’d be a few fist fights. But there were no golems, no other unexpected enemies. And since trolls rarely needed to sleep, they had been walking for three days straight. So, Jim had a lot of time to think about Nomura’s offer.

He wanted to learn about his troll side, he really did, but he was scared of what he might find. Merlin had said he wouldn’t become a monster, but that didn’t stop Jim from thinking of that thing from the Deep. What if delving into his troll nature unleashed something horrible inside him?

But…it was still tempting. During the battle of the Eternal Night, Jim had felt so-so _exhilarated_. Like he was completely unstoppable. And he knew he hadn’t restrained his troll side then. He wanted that feeling of freedom again. He wanted to be able to be a troll _without_ being afraid of himself. And if Nomura could help with that, well…

Maybe he should give it a shot.

When the party stopped for a short break, Jim bashfully walked up to Nomura. She was sharpening her scimitars on a rock, a good distance away from the other trolls. He cleared his throat to get her attention. “So, uh, Nomura,” he began, as she stared up at him, “what we walked about a few days ago…is that offer still standing?”

The changeling flashed her fangs. “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, we'll get some excellent bonding time with Jim and Nomura in the next chapter! See you guys in the next update!


	6. How to Train Your Half-Troll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing growly boi Jim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *when What the Night Brings hasn't updated in over a month and you're getting nervous so you upload out of anxiety*
> 
> Yeah, I really hope that fic updates soon. It's so good! I'm pretty sure every Trollhunter fan has read it, but if not, shoo! Read it after this chapter. Also enjoy more aunt Nomura and Jim hijinks
> 
> (And yes, I love httyd)

After Jim talked with Nomura, the plan was concocted. Since trolls rarely slept, they didn't have any time to 'train.' So, Jim suggested to Merlin that the party needed at least a couple hour break every day.

"Preposterous," Merlin scoffed, and turned away from Jim. "We need to get to the Heartstone as quickly as possible. We can't afford 'breaks.'"

"I know that," Jim said. "But anyone, even a troll, would get worn out after walking all day. Right, guys?" he asked the trolls behind him.

"Yeah!" one burly troll grunted. "Walking all day is boring."

"And my feet get so sore," Bagdwella added.

"Give us a break!" one shouted from the back.

And soon, the whole party was chanting, "Give us a break! Give us a break! Give us-"

"Alright!" Merlin threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "Alright. But don't blame me when the lack of a Heartstone finally gets to you." With that, the wizard stalked off, muttering under his breath.

Jim grinned triumphantly. "Okay, guys, the break starts now. We'll only do these in the daytime, since we need all the night we can get. You can either rest or gather food, but don't wander off too far. I'll be trying to look for some food myself." He turned to Nomura, who gave him a knowing wink and started walking away from the party.

Jim started after her, but a small hand wrapped around his arm. "Hey, Jim," Claire greeted. "Need any help?"

Uh-oh. Jim's eyes darted from Nomura, to Claire, and back to Nomura. "Um…sorry, Claire, but I already told Nomura I'd go with her…" Gosh, he really hoped she didn't want to tag along. He didn't know what he'd say if she asked.

Claire looked at Nomura, and Jim thought he saw understanding flash across her face. She blinked, and it was gone. She smiled at him. "Okay! Blinky and I will look for some ourselves."

"We will?" the four-armed troll asked. Claire kicked him in the leg. "Ouch! I mean, of course we will." Claire proceeded to drag a very confused Blinky away.

He sighed in relief. Crisis averted, for now. Jim didn't know why he didn't want to tell Claire what he was really doing, but he felt like this is something he had to do by himself. He didn't have a human problem. He had a troll problem.

Jim followed Nomura in silence until they reached a clearing. It was far enough that no one would hear them, but not so far that he couldn't run back to camp if need be. It was then that Jim had a horrible thought.

"You're not going to give me gravesand again, are you?" he asked worriedly. "If it made me feral as a human, I don't want to _think_ what it would do to me as a troll."

Nomura laughed. "No, I'm not. I'm not _that_ eager to unleash your troll side."

Jim glared at her pointedly.

"Alright, I see your point," she admitted. "But rest assured, I won't push you so far that you hurt yourself or others. It won't be the, ah, _aggressive_ training you had with me and Stricklander."

"Aggressive is one way to put it," Jim grumbled. "Okay, so…what do we do now?"

"Growl," Nomura said bluntly.

"W-what?"

"You heard me. Growl."

"O-okay." Not what he expected they'd start off with, but if Nomura told him to…

A sad, small growl rumbled from Jim's throat.

"Little Gynt," Nomura said sweetly, "that was pathetic."

"I don't know what you expected!" Jim complained. "I can growl just fine when I'm fighting, or when I'm angry. Why do I need to do it now?"

"Do you feel uncomfortable when you growl, though?"

Jim rubbed his arm guiltily. "Maybe."

"Exactly," Nomura said. "You start growling now when you're not angry, you'll become used to it. So by the time you naturally growl in a fight, you won't find it so strange or frightening. One day, you might even do it intentionally, so as to intimidate your enemies." She shrugged. "Personally, I prefer whistling to scare my foes."

"I know," Jim huffed. "I've experienced it firsthand."

She flashed her teeth. "It worked, didn't it? Now, growl again. But don't be so ashamed of it. Remember, it's just you and me."

Right. Nomura wouldn't judge him. He could do this. He closed his eyes and let out a threatening growl. Jim opened his eyes and beamed. "Did you hear that?! I did it!"

"Yes, you did," she laughed. "Much better. Do it again, but lengthen it."

By the time an hour had passed, Nomura said that Jim growled with even more intimidation than Strickler. It wasn't one should be proud of, but Jim blushed anyways. "R-really?"

"I'd never lie to you, Little Gynt," Nomura replied. "You did very well." She patted him on the shoulder and started walking away.

"Wait! We're already done?" Jim nearly whined.

She turned back to him and smiled. "I'm very pleased you want to continue, but I have a feeling very few trolls actually collected food. We should probably do so now, even though their lazy a-" she stopped. "Hides don't deserve it."

Jim didn't really mind cussing, but he was glad she censored herself anyways. "You're right," he agreed. "They're _very_ dependent. Let's see what we can find, then go back. We need to get back on the road soon."

* * *

Over the next couple weeks, Jim continued his lessons with Nomura. He was incredibly grateful Claire didn't ask any probing questions whenever he snuck off with the changeling. He still felt bad about not telling her anything, but he felt safer no one else knew what he was doing. _But soon_ , he promised himself. _Soon, I'll tell her._

It was never a dull moment with Nomura. He learned how to properly roar, travel on all fours, and track. His sense of smell wasn't as good as Argh's, but after a few days of training, he was able to pinpoint the approximate location of a smell. Nomura also helped him how to hone his enhanced hearing. Now he could differentiate Claire's voice from among the whole party of trolls. This trick made him especially happy.

The one thing Jim hadn't mastered yet was the food.

He tried to enjoy what trolls ate, he really did, but the chef in him wanted to shrivel up and die whenever he ate a can or sock. He had to admit, both tasted really good (especially the socks,) but he hadn't managed to eat an object yet without cringing. After several days of failure, Nomura decided food was something Jim was going to have to get used to in time.

But Jim really did feel better about being a troll now. He wasn't scared anymore when he accidentally growled or found himself sniffing a dead squirrel. (Sure, the latter was gross, but scary? Nope.) He was just so _relieved_ he could learn more about his new form in privacy. It made him hopeful for the future. Maybe nothing horrible would happen on their journey after all.

He was wrong.

* * *

A pale woman with long blonde hair analyzed the screens before her. It was rather entertaining, she thought, to watch the Trollhunter struggle with his new form. She zoomed in on the video as he effortlessly jumped up a tree. The drones had good quality, but they couldn't get too close, lest they be discovered.

The pink changeling said something from the ground, and the Trollhunter nodded. He crouched on all fours and proceeded to jump from tree to tree. The changeling applauded from below.

The woman grit her teeth. "Traitor," she hissed.

"Ms. Helgar?" a voice trembled from behind.

"What?!" she snapped, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"S-so sorry to bother you," the voice quaked, "b-but we found what you requested."

"Oh?" Eunice Helgar paused the video and swiveled her chair to face the voice. It belonged to a quivering mess of a young man. His messy brown hair bobbed nervously as he handed her a large pouch.

"I-I was told it was very hard to find," he stuttered.

"Good to know," she said coolly as she weighed the pouch in her hand. "You may leave now."

The young man swallowed hard and quickly left the room.

Eunice rarely smiled, but she couldn't help herself as she opened the pouch. "So, you don't like gravesand, Trollhunter?" Her eyes flashed an electric blue as she ran her fingers through the dark purple powder. "That's too bad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yee, I don't mind cussing in other fics, but in my own, it just feels unnatural. My brain still thinks they're cartoon characters meant for kids. (I mean they are...nvm)
> 
> And thus, the bitch known as Helgar has entered the chat! She definitely won't use that gravesand against Jimbo *evil laughter*
> 
> Anyways, next chapter, we get an action scene. Hooray! Until the next update, guys!


	7. The Duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nomura makes Jim fight her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Andddd here's the fight scene I promised you! It's a little short, but I think it gets the job done *thumbs up*

“You want me to do what?”

Jim had been training with Nomura for a month now. He could confidently say he felt… _at ease_ with his troll body. Not comfortable yet, but it was no longer strange and scary. He felt like he was up for anything now, besides the food. But this? This was unexpected.

Nomura rolled her eyes. “You heard me, Trollhunter.”

“Y-yeah, I did, but how does fighting you help me?” Jim complained. “I’ve fought you before, and…I don’t know, it was just a fight.”

“True,” Nomura admitted. “But this time is going to be different. You’re not allowed to summon your sword.”

“What?!”

“And your other weapons too, for that matter.”

“You’re not going to use your weapons too, right?”

“No,” Nomura replied. “I’m still using them.”

“But, but-” Jim spluttered, “how am I supposed to even stand a _chance_ against you? It’s not fair!” He cringed inwardly at how childish that last part sounded.

“I’m flattered that you think so highly of my skills,” Nomura said. “However, you’re not always going to have your amulet with you.”

“I don’t think it’s going anywhere,” Jim growled, poking at the amulet, which was still stubbornly stuck to his chest.

“The point is,” Nomura continued as if he hadn’t spoke, “you shouldn’t rely on your amulet so much. You need to feel comfortable without it. Plus, this is the perfect opportunity to hone your troll instincts. I know you’re much faster and more agile than you were as a weak fleshbag-human,” she corrected as Jim glared at her, “and I’d like to see you in action without your weapons.”

“Are you doing this just to see how much better I am now at fighting?” Jim asked suspiciously.

“Partly,” Nomura answered almost bashfully. “But this is good practice for you. Remember what I taught you these past few weeks, and apply it. Now, fight like the half-troll you are!” She unsheathed her scimitars, unleased a primal cry, and sprinted towards Jim.

Jim outstretched his hand to summon Eclipse, then thought better of it. Thinking fast, he crouched down and swept his foot under Nomura’s legs. The changeling fell to the ground, but quickly recovered and rolled back. She bared her teeth and threw her scimitars at Jim. He dodged them easily, caught them, and flung them back at her.

She crouched to avoid them, and the blades embedded themselves in a tree trunk. Nomura grinned at Jim.

“Hand-to-hand, then.” She darted to him and started punching. Jim couldn’t help but laugh. Whenever he fought her before, her blows hurt him very badly.

Not anymore. J

im raised his hand and caught Nomura’s next punch. She stared at him, eyes wide. “Gotcha,” he grinned, and rammed his other fist into her gut.

Nomura bent over, wheezing. Jim’s smile faltered. He reached out, concerned, but his trollish instincts screamed, _It’s a trap. Okay_ , he thought, _I trust you_. So he took a step back and got into a defensive position.

And just in time, too. Nomura lashed out at Jim, and he was just able to block her kick. The two exchanged a flurry of punches and kicks before Nomura slammed her head into Jim’s. He reeled back, dazed, and Nomura took the chance to run away and retrieve her scimitars from the tree.

“Come on, Little Gynt,” she taunted, and leaped into a tree. “Is that the best you can do?”

Jim shook the stars from his eyes and grinned. “Not even close.”

He sprinted after her and used a low-hanging branch to swing him up the tree. He was met with a scimitar glancing off his armor. Jim stumbled back and nearly fell, but he was able to regain his balance. He glared at the changeling as she caught her scimitar.

“You’re going to have to be faster than that, Trollhunter!” she crowed, and jumped to another tree.

Jim growled in frustration and got down on all-fours. Time to get serious. He launched himself after Nomura, and a chase ensued. Sometimes, Jim would catch up to her, and he’d land a blow, but she’d escape before he could corner her.

It went on like this for another five minutes before Jim leaned against a tree trunk, panting. He wasn’t tired, but he needed to rethink his strategy. He was getting nowhere running around after Nomura like this. He glanced at the changeling, who was perched on a limb fifty feet away. She was giving him time to think. Okay, cool. But what could he do to finally catch her?

In the shade of the tree, Jim bared his teeth in a ferocious grin. Yeah. He knew what to do.

* * *

Nomura impatiently stalked along the branch. What was taking Little Gynt so long? She thought she’d let him rest and change his strategy, but this was ridiculous. She sighed and unsheathed her scimitars. Looks like she was going to have to go after him. Disappointing. He was doing so well-

She shrieked as the branch under her feet disappeared. She crashed on the forest floor, and coughed. That hurt. “Well done, Little Gynt,” she grunted as she rose to her feet. “You caught me off-guard. But what are you planning to do now-”

Her words froze in her throat. A low, primal growling rumbled from somewhere to her left. She swiveled to face the source of the noise, but there was nothing. Nomura swallowed, hard. Even trolls could be frightened of a good growl. Unfortunately for her, this was a very good growl. It clearly conveyed the message: _back off, I’m dangerous_.

Then the growling came again, this time from her right. She turned to it, scimitars at the ready, and barely choked back a gasp.

The Trollhunter was stalking her on all-fours, all the while threateningly growling at her. But what truly bothered her was his _eyes_. They glowed a deep blood-red. No troll had those kind of eyes. It was unheard of. He looked so much like-like a _wild animal_.

Nomura shook her head, even as he paced behind her. That was the human side of her talking. Jim was not a wild animal. He was a troll. And he was finally accepting it.

Didn’t make it any less frightening for her though. Especially with those eyes.

She took a step forward. The Trollhunter roared and, quick as lightning, pounced on her. Taken aback by the attack, Nomura was thrown to the ground. Her scimitars skidded away from her. Before she could recover, Jim slammed his weight on top of her. He glared at her and growled again. He was clearly saying that if she tried anything, he would end her. She was defeated.

Good. Then her job here was done.

“I concede, Little Gynt,” she rasped. “You have won.”

Jim blinked. He did it. He finally did it! He defeated Nomura without using any of his weapons. A victory like this was too good to just whoop in celebration. No, it required something more, something like-

Jim stepped off Nomura and _roared_. It echoed across the forest, causing small animals and even predators to scatter. Off in the distance, the party of trolls glanced worriedly up at the sky. It was a sound of complete dominance and strength. Jim had never heard himself sound like this before. Sure, it was _different_ , but he…he liked it.

The amulet flared red, and in a flash of light, the Eclipse armor disappeared. The amulet fell limply to the ground.

Jim gasped and stumbled back. It-it couldn’t be, it had been so long, but-he patted himself down disbelievingly. His favorite blue sweater was in shreds, and his jeans were much too tight. Also, they were no longer jeans. They were shorts.

But he was out! After all these weeks, the armor was finally gone! Jim traced his fingers over his arms. It was one thing to see your face a different color, but it was another thing entirely to see your whole body, well, _blue_. His skin wasn’t quite as rock hard as other trolls’, but it was much more thick and hard than humans’. Jim looked down at his feet. Wow. That was different. Like his hands, one foot had five toes, while the other had four. His almost-black toenails were sharp enough to be called claws. He wiggled his toes into the grass and laughed. He could finally feel things! He could-

A cough from behind reminded Jim of Nomura’s presence. He turned to her, concerned. He hoped he hadn’t scared or hurt her too much with that little display. He honestly didn’t think he could pull it off, but he just let his instincts take the wheel. After that, it felt natural. It was weird, though, how much he lost himself then. In that state, he thought of Nomura as an enemy, and that he had to protect himself from her at all costs.

Speaking of Nomura, she was clapping in approval. “Well done, Little Gynt,” she grunted as she stood up. “That was well-fought.”

“Thanks,” Jim gushed. “And did you see? I finally got the armor off!” He turned in a circle, as if to prove the obvious.

“So you did,” she smiled.

“It feels so good to be out of it! I didn’t realize how much I-” Jim stopped rambling. Oh gosh, he totally forgot about Claire! He had to show her! “I’m sorry, Nomura,” he blurted, stooping to pick up the amulet, “but I’ve really gotta go. I need to show Claire-” he started running away, unable to stop himself. “But thank you so much! You’ve helped me a lot, and I don’t think I can ever repay you, and-okay, I’ll finish this later, bye!” The Trollhunter disappeared into the shadows.

Nomura chuckled as she picked up her scimitars. “You’re welcome, Jim.”

Jim laughed as he sprinted through the forest. The breeze ruffled his scruff, tickling his cheeks. He forgot how _good_ the wind felt against his body. It was incredibly refreshing, and-wait, that was too much breeze. He stopped running and glanced down. OH. That was why.

His shirt was gone.

Since it was only hanging by a few threads, and he was running super fast, he guessed it made sense. It must have fallen off. He poked his chest curiously. Why did he have abs? What was this, some kind of teen CW show?

He shrugged. Well, he wasn’t complaining. Jim bounded up a tree, dropped on all fours, and jumped to a branch at least fifty feet away. He leapt to another branch and used his momentum to swing himself forward. And so it went, until the scent of dozens of trolls invaded his nose. Jim skidded to a stop and took a deep breath, trying to find that one human scent.

Jim gagged. No, not Merlin! Where was Claire? Come on, come on…

And there it was! She was right next to Merlin. He jumped down and started running to her. His heart pumped in excitement, but also…nervousness. What if seeing him without his armor made her realize how different he really was? What if she didn’t like it?

Jim stopped. Claire was _right_ there, just beyond the tree line, but…his courage was failing him. He wasn’t ready. He didn’t realize how much the armor made him feel safe and secure until it was gone. And-oh shoot, she was looking his way.

“Jim?” Claire called uncertainly. “Is that you?” Shoot. Darn it. Nope. Couldn’t do this.

…But it looks like he didn’t have much of a choice. “H-hey Claire,” Jim stuttered. “Um, how’s it going?”

“All well and good, Master Jim,” Blinky answered from behind her. Great. He was here too. “But, pray tell, why are you hiding back there?”

“Uh, you know, just trying to stay out of the sun.”

“Master Jim, there’s no sun where I’m standing either.”

“Oh, r-right!” Jim laughed nervously. “Okay, guess I’ll, um, join you guys.” He took a deep, shaky breath and stepped forward. Claire and Blinky gasped, while Merlin just rolled his eyes. “So, I got the armor off! Yay…”

“Jim,” Claire said in shock.

“I know, I know, I’m hideous.”

“No! No, you look…amazing,” she breathed, chocolate-brown eyes sparkling.

Jim blinked. “R-really?”

“Fair Claire is indeed, correct,” Blinky said with approval. “You’re a strapping young troll, and-” the troll’s six eyes darted to Claire, Jim, then back to Claire. “You know what, I think I’ll leave you two to it. Come fetch me later, Master Jim!” And he was gone.

Jim tensed as Claire walked forward. What was she going to do? What was she going to say once she got a closer look? What was she- She caressed his cheek, running her delicate fingers through his hair. Jim relaxed and pulled her close. How could he ever doubt Claire? She was the greatest girlfriend a guy could have.

“So, am I really amazing?” he murmured in her ear.

“Jim, you have _no_ idea,” she giggled, and cupped her hands around his cheeks. “I think I need to explore this new Jim, yeah?” She looped a piece of his hair around her finger.

“I totally agree,” he said, lifting her up. And then they were kissing like they never had before. He was careful not to hurt her with her tusks, but she didn’t seem to mind their presence. In fact, she seemed to enjoy feeling around them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned even deeper into the kiss. He sighed in contentment.

It then occurred to him it was the first time him and Claire had kissed since he became a half-troll. Sure, they had done little pecks before, but they had never _really_ kissed yet.

And this was better than any kiss they had ever done when he was human.

* * *

Eunice Helgar snorted in disgust and turned off the monitors. She did _not_ need to see two teenagers making out this early in the morning. But at least they were now ready to move on to the next phase of the plan.

“Vardan,” she snapped, and the young man nervously approached her. “Get the golems ready. And be sure to bring the gravesand grenade.” She smiled wickedly. “The Trollhunter has just regained his spirit. Time to shatter it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY CLAIRE AND JIM DIDN'T DO IT IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF FIC
> 
> God, I really didn't like writing that, but I felt it was kind of necessary? It just seems like something they would do, since Jim was in his armor for a hot minute. Anyway, there won't be much more of that stuff in this fic, so yeah. 
> 
> And boy oh boy watch out for those red eyes


End file.
